April 7 - The federal government asked Monday that Terry Nichols pay $14.5 million in restitution for his involvement in the Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people and injured hundreds.

Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch to declare the restitution "due and payable immediately" so the government can seize Nichols' assets, including a home, a truck and personal property.

"Terry Nichols has told this court he would give his life if it would bring back deceased victims of his crime," wrote prosecutor Sean Connelly. "It is easy to make a conditional offer based on an impossible condition.

"While making a hollow offer of his life, Nichols apparently has drawn the line at his money and property. The conspiracy for which Nichols stands convicted not only killed 168 people but also caused millions and millions of dollars in financial damage," Connelly said.

Prosecutors asked that the money be put into the Crime Victims Fund, established by the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. According to a statutory formula, the first $10 million of the fund is used to improve the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases, while the remaining money is distributed primarily to state victim compensation and assistance programs.

The matter of restitution first came up during a March 25 hearing, with prosecutors and lawyers for the bombing victims suggesting that it was appropriate.

However, Nichols' lawyer, Michael Tigar, said any money Nichols earns in prison should go to his wife, Marife, and his three children.

The government argued Monday that Matsch should also order Nichols to pay another $25,000 to $250,000 in the form of a "criminal fine" and that he shouldn't be allowed to get out of it by citing the needs of his wife and children.

"Nichols should not be allowed to avoid his fine obligations by claiming an undue burden on his dependents," said the government. "The fact is that Nichols' commission of this horrible crime eliminated any meaningful ability for him to provide for his dependents during the past three years and for the rest of his life. He should not be able to cite a burden that he could not satisfy in any event."

The government said the $14.5 million is not an unreasonable request given the fact that many notorious criminals have achieved celebrity status and are making hundreds of thousands of dollars from books and articles about their crimes.

The prospect that a criminal like Nichols might some day be cashing royalty checks while the victims remain uncompensated is an "insult" to the victims and an "affront to society's moral beliefs," said the government.

The government noted that on Friday, the federal judge presiding over the World Trade Center bombing ordered an accomplice in the bombing to pay $10 million in restitution "just to ensure that you never make a dime out of it." The government based its request on the $14.5 million it cost in 1977 to construct the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.